


Olive Branches

by dillonmania



Series: Another World [8]
Category: DCU, The Flash (Comics)
Genre: Aging, Character Development, Family, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-09
Updated: 2014-09-09
Packaged: 2018-02-14 06:02:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2180691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dillonmania/pseuds/dillonmania
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two old enemies finally make some progress.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Olive Branches

Patty’s house was unusually quiet when Roscoe used his key to enter, but he didn’t think much of it because it was the middle of a work day. Hartley had given him an extended lunch break so he could pick up a book Patty had left for him, so he headed to the living room to retrieve it. However, he was shocked to find Len sprawled on the floor instead, and hurried to his side. The older man was breathing, but his face was very pale and he’d clearly struck his head on something.

“Len!” Roscoe exclaimed with concern, gently shaking his shoulder. “Can you hear me?”  
There was a soft groan, and the other man’s eyes slowly fluttered open. “What..? Where am I?”  
“You’ve fallen and hit your head. Do you know what day it is?”  
“It’s…Tuesday,” Len decided after a long pause. This was correct, but it was worrisome that it'd taken him more than a few moments to come up with the answer, and Roscoe frowned. While he didn’t especially relish the idea of spending a day at the hospital with his brother-in-law, it seemed like the responsible thing to do. Hartley would understand if he couldn’t come back to work.

“I am going to take you to the emergency room,” he announced firmly, although Len immediately looked upset.  
“What? No way, not needed. I’m fine.”  
“There is a huge bump on your forehead and a bit of blood. Can you even stand up?”  
Len attempted to struggle to his feet, and Roscoe suddenly realized just how frail he was. He had always seemed so robust due to sheer force of personality, but that had all vanished now. Instead of the Rogues’ domineering leader and disciplinarian, he appeared to be a weakened old man who needed help to stand. And for all his many conflicts with Len, Roscoe found this to be incredibly depressing. He offered a steady hand, and his brother-in-law used it to pull himself up.

“See, I’m fine,” Len insisted as he wobbled on his feet, but Roscoe had already made up his mind.  
“We will just have a doctor look at you for a few moments, and then you can come home. I am sure Mick and Lisa will be worried sick about this.”  
“It’s not needed,” Len muttered darkly as he was carefully helped to the passenger seat of the car, and he sulked all the way to the hospital.

The triage nurse assessed Len’s condition and told him to sit in the waiting room with an ice pack (which the two men found quite amusing, and lightened the mood somewhat). Roscoe tried to call Mick, but got nothing more than a busy signal, and Lisa decided to stay at work because her husband was handling it. The nurse had said his condition was probably not serious, so the situation didn’t seem urgent.

“Mick probably turned his phone off at the library,” Len grunted when Roscoe explained what had happened. “He might stay there all afternoon, just readin’ newspapers.”  
“It’s for the best that he is not worrying needlessly,” Roscoe replied politely, his leg shaking frenetically as he sat. He looked distinctly ill at ease, and it took Len a few minutes to remember why.  
“Right, you don’t like doctors. So if I don’t wanna be here and you don’t wanna be here, then why the hell are we here?”  
“Because I think it’s important, and Lisa would be devastated if you had a concussion or a brain bleed or any number of consequences from striking your head. Everyone would be upset.”  
Len was a bit crankier than usual, and he scowled. “But not you, huh?”  
“I did not say that, nor intend the sentiment,” Roscoe said in surprise. “I don’t want bad things to happen to you. Why would you think that?”  
“We’ve never had a great relationship.”

Roscoe cocked his head curiously. “But we have been getting along better recently…or at least I thought so. My psychiatrist said it was important to make an effort, and I’ve been trying. Have I failed?”  
“….no, I guess not,” Len replied after a few moments’ thought. There was always underlying tension between the two men because of their long history of antagonism, but it was true that Roscoe had been calmer and friendlier in recent months. Len had always thought it was due to the medication, but it was good to hear that he’d been working at it too. 

“I’m not gonna lie, I think your attitude could still use some tweaking. But you’re right, things have been better lately,” Len acknowledged. The fact that Roscoe hadn’t reacted angrily to accusations about his behaviour was proof that he'd considerably mellowed. “So thanks.”  
“You are welcome. Thank you for being patient with me.”  
Len raised an eyebrow, now half-wondering if his brother-in-law had been replaced by a shapeshifter. Or had he simply not been giving him enough credit?

“It’s still a work in progress,” Roscoe admitted with a hint of embarrassment, perhaps having noticed Len’s startled reaction. “The meds keep me on a somewhat more even keel, and my emotions are a bit easier to control now. I see the doctor every week, and we discuss coping strategies for stress and ways to improve the interpersonal relationships in my life. But I’m still learning, and it’s also possible I am just inherently an asshole. I am never going to be as warm and socially adept as you or Hartley.”

Len started laughing at this, and the other man frowned in confusion and irritation.  
“Oh hell, I can’t believe you called me ‘warm’ and ‘socially adept’,” Len said as he chuckled and actually wiped a tear from his eye.  
Roscoe was still frowning. “It’s all relative, I suppose.”  
“Yeah, maybe. You got a point, but nobody expects you to be Miss Congeniality. They just don’t want you to make them feel like shit, which is something you had a habit of doing.”  
“I am sorry for that,” Roscoe answered tersely, and it was clearly something he didn’t want to say. But Len was pleased he was at least making an effort.  
“Just keep at it, you’re doin’ fine,” Len said in a gentler tone, figuring it was better to encourage than merely criticize. As much as he disliked being dragged to the hospital, he was touched that the man really did seem to care and to be trying, and perhaps did deserve the benefit of doubt.

The door to the ER’s treatment area opened and a nurse poked her head out. “Leonard Snart..?” she called, and Len slowly got to his feet with some assistance. Fortunately he was able to walk there on his own, and she got him to sit on the edge of a wheeled bed while Roscoe stood nearby.

“I see you hit your head, Mr. Snart,” the nurse noted as she looked him over. “How’d it happen?”  
“I don’t know,” Len admitted with some embarrassment. “I felt a little bit dizzy, and the next thing I knew was him shaking me.”  
“Have you been eating enough recently? Did you have lunch?”  
“Been eating plenty, but hadn’t had lunch yet. Still a bit early in the day for that.”  
She was writing things on a chart while he talked. “Do you often skip lunch, Mr. Snart?”  
“I told you, I just hadn’t eaten yet. I was going to.”

“Have you fallen before?” she asked while continuing to write.  
Len turned beet red and looked down. “Just once recently, but it was okay. I tripped on the dog, and hurt only my pride.”  
“Maybe it’s time to get someone in to help you, to make sure you eat your meals and to keep the house free of tripping hazards. Have you thought about using a cane or a walker?”  
“Now hold on—" Len protested, but she cut him off.  
“It’s really important that you eat, Mr. Snart, and you could break a bone in a fall. You can hire someone to come in daily to ensure you have nutritious meals to eat, or your son here can do it for you.”

Roscoe was far too annoyed by the conversation to laugh at the nurse’s mistake. “Don’t you dare talk to him that way,” he spat at her. “You are not listening to him, and he deserves to be treated with respect.”  
“I beg your pardon,” she replied indignantly. “I’m treating him respectfully.”  
“You are not. You are talking to him like he’s a child, and not listening to a word he says. He may need extra assistance, but he also needs to be heard.”

It was obvious from her expression that she was extremely irritated, and she tapped her pen loudly against the chart. “I’m listening to him, sir. You can talk to my supervisor if you have a problem with me, but I’ll have you escorted out if you can’t remain civil.”  
“I would like to see you try,” Roscoe hissed, although Len put up a hand to calm the situation.  
“Simmer down, Roscoe, I’m okay. But he’s not wrong, Miss. You really aren’t listening,” Len said with as much patience as he could muster. Roscoe scowled darkly, as he really didn’t want to let the matter go, but Dr. Evans had told him that it was helpful to honour people’s requests and he supposed he ought to. He crossed his arms and said nothing, but hoped his face was sufficiently stern.

“Okay, I’m listening,” she said coolly, and Len smiled at her in a friendly manner.  
“Thanks. I promise you that I don’t skip meals, I just hadn’t gotten around to my lunch yet. It was already in the fridge, which I can show you if you come to visit. I did fall and I don’t know why, but it’s not something that happens much….I’m usually pretty steady on my feet. But if you wanna run some tests to see why I fell today, I’m okay with that.”  
The nurse wrote a few more details in his chart, and then looked up with a smile. “That sounds fair, Mr. Snart. The doctor will be in to see you shortly, and you can tell her what you just told me. She’ll give you an exam to make sure you haven’t suffered any ill effects from the fall, and will probably order some bloodwork and a neurological scan.”

“Thanks,” Len nodded with a genial expression as she got up. She left the area to find the doctor, and he then turned to Roscoe. “And thank you for standing up for me, as well as backing off when I asked you to.”  
“You are quite welcome. I didn’t care for her attitude.”  
“It’s not just that. You looked out for my well-being _and_ respected my wishes…you wouldn’t have done that six months ago. I appreciate it.”  
Roscoe thought about it for a few moments, and then gradually began to smile a bit. “I suppose that’s true. Maybe I’m not entirely an asshole.” He looked forward to sharing the anecdote with his psychiatrist later that week, and Lisa would certainly be proud of him.

“Nah, you’re doing pretty okay. And you don’t have to stick around while I’m waiting on tests, y’know, because it’ll probably be kinda dull. Mick or Patty will pick me up when it’s all over.”  
“I do not mind waiting. But that’s a good point, I should try calling Mick again so he doesn’t worry about your absence. I’ll go out front and give him another call, and will be back in five to ten minutes. Is that all right?”  
“Sounds great,” Len said with a smile, and he meant it.


End file.
